diff --git a/pandas/tests/extension/json/array.py b/pandas/tests/extension/json/array.py
index 538ca83667ef5..2ce242baf2e5e 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/extension/json/array.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/extension/json/array.py
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ def __ne__(self, other):
     def __array__(self, dtype=None):
         if dtype is None:
             dtype = object
+        if dtype == object:
+            # on py38 builds it looks like numpy is inferring to a non-1D array
+            return construct_1d_object_array_from_listlike(list(self))
         return np.asarray(self.data, dtype=dtype)
 
     @property